Luv What You Do

What do you typically do the day after a race?

Last night, the BOY politely asked what time I would be getting up this morning, adding that he would like to sleep in a little before his afternoon final if he could.  I understand where he is coming from since most morning’s I am up at 6AM, hours before his alarm clock, and although I try to be quiet, it isn’t easy.  I told him that I was not planning on setting an alarm, and we both slept in a little later than I had expected.  Although after yesterday’s race, I was tired and my body needed a good nine hours of solid sleep.  I had some thoughts about going to yoga this morning, but instead decided that my feet were in desperate need of a pedicure.  Since the salon doesn’t open until 10ish, I treated myself to a sit down breakfast of French Toast with fresh bread from Great Harvest.

I love the weekends (and my Mondays) when I have time to make a tasty breakfast and sit down to enjoy it with a cup of tea.  The BOY was up this morning and we were discussing this summer’s trip to Door County.  I really hope we can book our hotel this week!

He was also interested in what tea I was drinking this morning that smelled so good.  I picked up a few new teas to try from the Coffee Drop Shop on Saturday.  This Chai black is full of aroma and possibly one of the strongest black teas I have tasted.  Coffee drinkers, you will love this.  But, I am NOT sharing any of mine : )

So back to my original question…what do you typically do the day after a long race?  I generally appreciate a day off from exercise.  When I am training, my weekends (and sometimes my work days) are scheduled around my workouts.  It is nice to have a no-alarm day that begins with a big breakfast and some quiet time with a warm cup of tea at my computer.  I have fun things to do, like bake a chocolate chip banana bread based off of this One Bowl Banana Walnut Bread recipe that is so easy it can be in the oven before you sit down for breakfast, and I am looking forward to a pedicure, a trip to Whole Foods, and a yoga appointment to work out some post-race kinks.

I also looked up my ‘official’ race results, writing the time on the back of my bib and adding it to my collection.

I’m a pack rat with my race memorabilia and love to save this stuff.  I’m sure I’ll look back one day (and maybe even show my kids) the active accomplishments of my 20’s and 30’s.

And since I don’t YET have one of these adorable medal hangers…hint hint, I highly recommend the binder clip system for organizing race bibs and medals.

I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t already thinking about my next race, a 10 miler in a few weeks, and which triathlon I will be doing this summer.  Usually by now, I am all signed up for a summer tri (and well on my way to training).  However, some of the dates of the races that I was interested in don’t work with my busy summer and unfortunately I have some other commitments, like work and class, that are taking priority over racing.  Since I haven’t been to the pool and my bike is still hanging upside down in the garage, I don’t think that I will be able to do the triathlon that I had planned to do in 6 weeks.  This seems smart…right?  Plus, with my back and hip out of sorts, I want to make sure that I get the rest and healing that I need before pursuing another challenging race.  I know that cross training, specifically core work, is exactly what I need right now to compliment all of this endurance activity. 

I have my eyes on another triathlon a little later in the summer, and I want to make sure I am setting reasonable goals for this summer’s races that will allow me to enjoy my training and racing without feeling overwhelmed.  Last year was a BIG year for me in terms of racing.  I completed my first Olympic distance triathlon and finished the Chicago marathon in 4 hours.  Naturally, I want to push myself further this year and it is difficult for me to take a step back.  I have a competitive spirit, but I also understand the importance of listening to my body and staying emotionally healthy.  I exercise, train, and race because it is fun and enjoyable and I want to make sure that it stays that way.  Committing to a race that is too big or takes too much time this summer will take away from the excitement I feel during training.  And the summer time is always a blast, especially because I look forward to long bike rides and outdoor swims.  It all comes down to balance and I often feel that when work gets busy, my training gets put on hold.

I am so grateful to my MOM and the BOY who are always there to listen to my thoughts about racing and help me keep things in perspective.  They point out that my life is not where it was last year and that my training will be different too.  They understand (well at least my mom does and the BOY pretends to) my desire to continue to compete and challenge myself.  After this upcoming 10 miler, I have nothing else officially planned except for Bike the Drive, which I always look forward to.  It is a fun and low key way to kick off summer with my family!!!  After that…we will just have to see where this summer’s training takes me.

Some questions for the racers out there…

How do you decide which races to sign up for?  Am I the only one who struggles with balance?

Which race are you most excited for this summer?

Do you save your race stuff?

Official Results from yesterday’s Half Marathon

Final Time: 1:51:20.13

Pace: 8:30

Overall Place: 212/838

Age Division: 12/72 *This made me very happy!

Mile Splits

Mile 2: 16:20 *I missed the first mile marker!

Mile 3: 8:12

Mile 4: 8:20

Mile 5: 8:08

Mile 6: 8:12

Mile 7: 8:24

Mile 8: 8:37

Mile 9: 8:42

Mile 10: 9:07

Mile 11: 9:09

Mile 12: 8:37

Mile 13: 8:39